candidates in all Miss America preliminaries at the local and state level compete in the following areas:

LOCALS SCORING:

  • Presentation & Community Achievement in Interview (35% of total score)

    Each candidate participates in a private 10-minute press conference-style interview with a panel of judges. There is a panel of five judges. Candidates are questioned on their background as presented on their fact sheet, their educational and career goals, their opinions on current events, social issues, and their interests, hobbies and extracurricular activities. Scoring is based on communication skills, including personality, intelligence, validated opinions, emotional control, overall first impression and personal appearance, and whether the candidate possesses the overall qualities and attributes of a Miss Idaho.

  • Artistic Expression (35% of total score)

    Candidates perform a routine of up to 90 seconds of their own choosing. Possible talents might include singing, dancing, gymnastics, instrumental music, dramatic or comedy monologues, baton twirling and ventriloquism. Other talents that can be performed solo on a stage are also possible. Contact us if you have a question about your talent presentation. Scoring is based on candidate's skill and personality, interpretive ability, technical skill level, stage presence and the totality of all elements, including costume, props, voice, use of body and choreography.

  • Red Carpet (15% of total score)

    Each candidate appears on stage in an outfit of her own choosing, representative of what she would wear to a formal "after five" social event. Pantsuits, cocktail dresses and evening gowns are all appropriate for this phase of the competition. Scoring is based on the overall first impression, sense of confidence, personality and stage presence, walk and posture, appropriateness of attire and sense of attractiveness.

  • On Stage Question with Social Impact Statement (15% of total score)

    Each candidate appears on stage and will answer a question, in front of the audience, written by one of the judges as an extension of the personal interview they participated in previously. Each candidate will make an 10-20 second statement regarding her social impact initiative.

STATE SCORING:

  • Personal Interview with Judges (35% of total score)

    Wardrobe: Candidate’s Choice: Interview Attire

    ● Allows insight into the candidate’s ability to fulfill the responsibilities outlined in the job

    description and national contract

    ● Provides the opportunity to learn as much as possible about the candidate’s qualities and

    attributes to fulfill the titleholder position

    ● Allows insight into the commitment to advance and execute on her social impact initiative and

    have a year of service not celebrity

    ● Allows insight into the commitment to continue her education

    ● Allows insight into the ability to express and distinguish her beliefs and have a true knowledge of

    the world around her

    ● Ability to get sense of accomplishments above and beyond the resume.

  • On Stage Interview/Social Initiative Pitch (15% Preliminaries; 15% Final Night)

    Wardrobe: Candidate’s Choice: Interviewing for the Job

    ● Advancing the same criteria as the personal interview by bringing it on stage in an interactive and

    substantive highly energetic way to showcase each candidates’ intelligence, personality, charisma

    and aptitude for the job of Miss America

    ● Allows audiences in the Boardwalk Hall and those watching the broadcast to truly get to know the

    candidate

    ● Allows ability to see how these discussions take place in a public forum showcasing the greater

    ability to communicate., stage presence, commanding presence and relatability

    ● Allows ability to judge first impression reaction

    ● Allows ability to determine if the candidate cannot just answer the question asked, but build on a

    conversation from the personal interview

    ● Allows the ability to see interactivity and discussion

    ● Allows the ability to see if candidate can serve as a role model and is reflective of her generation

  • Evening Wear Competition - “On The Red Carpet” (15% Preliminaries; 15% Final Night)

    Wardrobe: Candidate’s Choice: Red Carpet Glamour

    ● Allows a look into a how the candidate exhibits her own personal style, attitude, personality,

    grace, presence and confidence while making her own statement about her mission for the job.

    ● Allows a look into composure, confidence, the attention she captures on the stage, her command

    of the stage, presence and how she appears in the spotlight

    ● Allows ability to judge first impression reaction

    ● Allows a look at posture and carriage

    ● Allows a chance to hear a candidate’s presentation of her social impact initiative for social media

    in a different setting

  • Talent (35% Preliminaries; 30% Final Night)

    Wardrobe: Candidate’s Choice: Talent

    ● Allows insight into the contestant’s preparatory and performance skills

    ● Looks at selection of talent presentation as well as the performance

    ● Looks at interpretive ability and technical skill level including execution, technique

    synchronization and control

    ● Allows insight into stage presence and on-state personality

    ● Allows a look at the totality of the elements; Costume, Props, Music, Voice, Use of the Body and

    Choreography

    ● Looks for how enjoyable and relatable the performance is

  • Final Conversation for the Job

    Final night only: Only the remaining top finalists prior to crowning will participate.

    Judges will use the final ballot in this phase.

    Wardrobe: Candidate’s Choice: Dress for Success Final Interview

    ● Allows a final, highly energetic and challenging conversation with fellow candidates and the judges

    to determine who is the best candidate for the job

    ● Allows a look at the sense of composure in the final moments of decision

    ● Allows a look at interactivity with the judges and the audience

    ● Allows the top candidates to express why each is best for the job of Miss America and what each

    plans to do with the new job as well as after her year of service

    ● Allows top candidates to talk about career goals and how serving as Miss America will set the stage

    for becoming a future leader in the country

  • A composite score of 40% will carry over into the final night competition based on

    preliminary placement.

TEEN PROGRAM JUDGING CRITERIA

CandidateS IN ALL MISS AMERICA PRELIMINARIES AT THE LOCAL AND STATE LEVEL COMPETE IN THE FOLLOWING AREAS:

Private Interview (30% of total score)

At the local level, each candidate participates in an individual 8-minute interview.  Interviews are 8 minutes at the state competition and 10 minutes at the national competition. There is a panel of five judges and the interview is press-style, with the candidate standing at a podium. Candidates are questioned on their background as presented on their fact sheet, their educational and career goals, and their interests, hobbies and extracurricular activities. Scoring is based on overall communication skills, including personality, intelligence, validated opinions, emotional control, overall first impression and personal appearance.  Community Service is required on the local level.

Talent (40% of total score)

Candidates perform a 90 second routine of their own choosing. Some possible talents include all types of singing, dancing, gymnastics, instrumental music, dramatic or comedy monologues, baton twirling and ventriloquism. Other talents that can be performed solo on a stage are also possible. Phone or e-mail us if you have a question about your talent presentation.  Scoring is based on candidate’s skill and personality, interpretive ability, technical skill level, stage presence and the totality of all elements, including costume, props, voice, use of body and choreography.

Lifestyle and Fitness (10% of total score)

Each candidate briefly appears on-stage (up to 30 seconds) in the workout attire of her own choosing.  The Executive Director of the competition must approve workout attire prior to competition.  Workout attire must be age-appropriate, and typical of what a teenager would wear to workout at the gym.  An example of workout attire includes shorts (above the knee) with a sleeveless top or half top and tennis shoes.  Swimsuits and clothing specifically for dance, such as a leotard are not permitted.  Scoring is based on overall first impression, statement of strong physical fitness and health, sense of attractiveness and presence, display of energy, charisma and expression, sense of confidence and composure.

 On-Stage Question in Evening Wear (20% of score)

Each candidate appears on stage in an evening gown of her own choosing; something appropriate for her age.  Each candidate will answer a question on-stage.  Questions will be of a general nature and will be neither platform-related nor something taken directly from the private interview.  The objective is to evaluate the candidate’s ability to think on her feet and answer a question of general interest to people her age, including, but not limited to, local, state, and national current events. Candidate will then model.  Scoring is based on overall first impression, sense of confidence, personality, stage presence, walk and posture, appropriate of attire, sense of attractiveness, extemporaneous response to an on-stage question, contestant’s ability to answer the question in the context in which it was asked, candidate’s ability to handle the pressure of speaking on stage in front of an audience.